The present invention generally relates the field of downhill skis and, more particularly, to a traction device for allowing younger and/or less experienced skiers to proceed, via at least some degree of traction, on relatively flat surfaces, on mildly sloped declines, and up mildly sloped inclines such as those which are often encountered between the end of a ski run and the start of the next ski run.
Downhill skiing is becoming an ever increasingly family-oriented sport. Younger and younger children are taking up downhill skiing and are demonstrating great abilities in maneuvering down relatively steep inclines, often with little or no fear. However, once gravity stops taking effect at the end of the run, many children and other less experienced skiers struggle on their skis. Children and even some adults often lack the ability to xe2x80x9cskatexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cpolexe2x80x9d effectively across the flat area or up the slight incline which is typically encountered at the end of the ski run when proceeding to the chair lift. It would be desirable to provide a downhill ski with a simple traction device which could readily be activated by even a child when needed to proceed along a flat surface or up an incline while still on downhill skis.
The present invention generally relates to a traction device for a downhill ski. The downhill ski includes a nose or leading portion which is curved upwardly to a degree. The remainder of the downhill ski or its main body extends rearwardly from the nose at least generally along a reference axis (e.g., having a longitudinal extent). Downhill skis have a main body which is typically significantly longer than it is wide. The main body of the downhill ski may vary in width along its longitudinal extent to a small degree, and its lower or bottom surface may have a slight fore-to-aft curvature or along its longitudinal extent defined as being parallel with the noted reference axis, a slight side-to-side or laterally-extending curvature, or both. A binding is disposed somewhere in the mid portion (although not typically at the longitudinal midpoint) of the main body of the downhill ski on its upper surface. The binding includes a front binding member and a rear binding member which are spaced along the noted reference axis a sufficient distance to accept a downhill ski boot therein. These front and rear binding members may be interconnected and thereby attached as a unit to the ski, or they may be separately attached to the ski. Nonetheless, the downhill ski boot is securely retained within the binding and does not move relative to the ski unless/until the ski boot is removed entirely from the binding (e.g., when the skier falls).
A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a downhill ski at least generally of the above noted type which includes a traction device. The traction device includes a mount or housing-like structure which is disposed on the upper surface of the main body of the downhill ski and which is appropriately attached to the downhill ski (e.g. through the upper surface of the main body of the downhill ski). The traction device may be positioned forward of the noted binding or rearward of the noted binding. A traction member is disposed along at least one of the sides of the main body of the downhill ski (preferably a traction member is disposed on each of the two sides of the main body of the downhill ski), extends rearwardly from the mount toward the rear end of the downhill ski, and includes a free end which is thereby longitudinally spaced from the mount in the direction of the rear of the downhill ski. A movable interconnection (e.g., pivotal) is provided between the noted traction member and the mount. This movable interconnection allows the noted free end of the noted traction member to move (e.g., pivot) from a position where its free end will not extend beyond the lower surface of the ski (a non-traction position), to a position where its free end will extend beyond the lower surface of the downhill ski (a traction position). At least one biasing member acts on the noted traction member (either directly or indirectly) to bias the free end of the noted traction member to its traction position. However, a latch is provided to prevent the noted traction member from moving from its non-traction position to its traction position until the latch is activated as well.
Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the subject first aspect of the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated in the subject first aspect of the present invention as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, another movable interconnection (e.g., pivotal) can be provided between the latch and the mount or an extension thereof such that the latch may move (e.g., pivot) from one position where it is retaining the traction member in its non-traction position (e.g., via a concave holding aperture or xe2x80x9chookxe2x80x9d, having a xe2x80x9clipxe2x80x9d on the latch), to another position where it sufficiently disengages such that the biasing member at least attempts to move the traction member to its traction position (e.g., the biasing member need not be strong enough to extend the free end of the traction member beyond the lower surface of the ski without first picking the ski up off the underlying surface to at least a small degree). The latch may be biased to engage the traction member to retain the same in its non-traction position, or to pivot at least generally in the direction of the portion of the associated traction member which is engaged by the latch when the traction device is in its non-traction position. A ski pole end receptacle or the like may be provided on the latch to allow the same to be activated by inserting the end of the ski pole therein and pushing the latch at least generally away from the engaged portion of the traction member, although a hand or any other mechanism may be used to move the latch in this manner for disengagement of the associated traction member. The latch may also include a ramped surface or the like for interfacing with its associated traction member when in a traction position. When the traction member is moved to push down on this ramped surface of the latch, the latch moves at least generally away from the portion of the traction member engaged by the latch when in a non-traction position, to a position where the latch can then move back toward the noted portion of the traction member to engage the same for retention of the traction member in its non-traction position.
The latch of the subject first aspect may be disposed relative to the mount such that the traction member or an extension thereof may extend beyond the movable interconnection at the mount and at least generally toward the latch for interfacing with the same. The latch may be disposed on either side of the mount to provide this function. In any case, the traction member may be characterized as undergoing a xe2x80x9cteeter totterxe2x80x9d like effect while pivoting relative to the mount, with the latch acting on one end of the xe2x80x9cteeter totterxe2x80x9d and with the other end of the traction member being on the opposite end of the xe2x80x9cteeter totterxe2x80x9d. An extension of the traction device may project from the mount in interfacing relation with the ski""s upper surface. This extension may have a significantly lower profile than the mount, and provides a surface on which the noted latch may be mounted.
A second aspect of the present invention is directed to a downhill ski at least generally of the above-noted type which includes a traction device which is operatively interconnected with the binding. The traction device of the second aspect includes a traction device mount which is disposed on the upper surface of the ski body, a traction arm carrier which is movably (e.g., pivotally) interconnected with the traction device mount and is movable (e.g., pivotable) between at least first and second traction arm carrier positions, a first traction arm which is interconnected with this traction arm carrier and which is disposed along one of the sides of the ski body, a traction arm carrier biasing member which biases the traction arm carrier to its second traction arm carrier position, and a latch which is movable between first and second latch positions. The traction arm carrier is retained in its first traction am carrier position by the latch when in its first latch position such that the first traction arm is xe2x80x9cinactive,xe2x80x9d but is allowed to move to its second traction arm carrier position when the latch is disposed in its second latch position where the first traction arm is xe2x80x9cactive.xe2x80x9d In its xe2x80x9cinactivexe2x80x9d position the first traction arm does not engage the surface (e.g., snow) on which the downhill ski is traveling. In its xe2x80x9cactivexe2x80x9d position the first traction arm does engage the surface (e.g., snow) on which of the downhill ski is traveling.
A latch trip member of the subject second aspect provides an interface between the binding and the traction device. In this regard, the latch trip member engages the latch so as to dispose the same in its second latch position whenever a ski boot is not disposed in the binding. Having the latch in its second latch position again allows the traction arm carrier biasing member to move the traction arm carrier to its second traction arm carrier position where the first traction arm is then xe2x80x9cactive.xe2x80x9d In this case the first traction member functions as a ski brake since the skier has become dislodged from the ski. However, the latch may also be manually moved between its first and second positions when a ski boot is disposed in the binding to activate or deactivate the traction device as desired. This then allows the ski to be used in normal downhill skiing operations and without the first traction arm engaging the underlying surface on which the downhill ski is traveling, but also allows the traction device to be activated to dispose the first traction arm so as to engage the underlying surface to the downhill ski, for instance to provide traction when xe2x80x9cwalkingxe2x80x9d up an incline with the ski boot still in the binding.
Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the subject second aspect of the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated in the subject second aspect of the present invention as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. Preferably the second aspect farther includes a second traction arm which is disposed on an opposite side of the ski body than the first traction arm. Each traction arm utilized by the traction device may have the following characteristics. Each traction arm may extend at least generally in the direction of the rear end of the ski body when the traction arm carrier is disposed in its second traction arm carrier position, as well as possibly when the traction arm carrier is disposed in its first traction arm carrier position. Each traction arm may include a free end which is longitudinally spaced from the traction arm carrier in the direction of the rear end of the ski body when the traction arm carrier is disposed in its second traction arm carrier position, as well as possibly when the traction arm carrier is disposed in its first traction arm carrier position. This free end of each traction arm may be configured so as to facilitate engagement with an underlying surface to the downhill ski so as to provide the desired traction function.
One way to desirably operatively interconnect the binding and traction device in relation to the subject second aspect of the present invention is to mount the latch trip member on a portion of the ski binding which moves in response to a change in position of a ski boot relative to the ski binding. This movement of the ski binding may then be used to move the latch trip member into a position where it will engage the latch to move the same from its first latch position to the second latch position at the desired time. Typically both the front binding member and the rear binding member move relative to the ski body when a ski boot is removed from the binding. Therefore, the latch trip member may be attached to either the front or rear binding member of the ski binding in a manner such that it moves to engage the latch when the ski boot becomes dislodged from the ski binding.
A third aspect of the present invention is directed to a downhill ski at least generally of the above-noted type which includes a traction device. The traction device includes at least one traction arm. Typically a pair of traction arms will be disposed on opposite side of the body of the downhill ski. In any case, the traction arm(s) is movable between first and second traction arm positions when the traction device is deactivated and activated, respectively. Moreover, the traction arm(s) extends at least generally in the direction of the rear end of the ski body to a free end at least when the traction arm(s) is disposed in its second traction arm position. Generally, the free end of the traction arm(s) extends below the lower surface of the ski body when the traction arm(s) is disposed in its second traction arm position so as to interface with the surface (e.g., snow) which underlies the downhill ski. Conversely, the free end of the traction arm(s) does not extend below the lower surface of the ski body when the traction arm(s) is disposed in its first traction arm position so as to not interface with the surface (e.g., snow) which underlies the downhill ski. Whenever a ski boot is not disposed in the ski binding, the traction device automatically disposes the traction arm(s) into its second traction arm position such that the free end of the traction arm(s) may interface with the underlying surface to the downhill ski. In this situation the traction arm(s) functions as a ski brake of sorts. When a ski boot is disposed in the binding, the traction device allows its traction arm(s) to be: 1) selectively disposed in its first traction arm position such that the free end of the traction arm(s) does not extend below the lower surface of the ski (e.g., for normal downhill skiing operations); and 2) selectively disposed in its second traction arm position such that the free end of the traction arm(s) does extend below the lower surface of the ski so as to interface with the underlying surface (e.g., to provide traction for proceeding in a forward direction on the particular underlying surface).
Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the subject third aspect of the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated in the subject third aspect of the present invention as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. The traction device may be structurally integrated with either the front or rear binding assembly/component of the ski binding. One way to desirably structurally integrate the binding and traction device in relation to the subject third aspect of the present invention is to mount a latch trip member on a portion of the ski binding which moves in response to a change in position of a ski boot relative to the ski binding. This movement of the ski binding may then be used to move the latch trip member into a position where it will engage a latch to move the same so as to release the traction arm(s) such that it may be moved (e.g., biased) to its second traction arm position. Movement of the ski binding relative to the ski body as a ski boot is disposed in the ski binding may move the latch trip member into a position where it will not activate the latch. Instead, thereafter the latch may be manually moved to release the traction arm(s) to its second traction arm position, or thereafter the latch may be manually moved to return the traction arm(s) to its first traction arm position to be retained therein by the latch.